The state government in Hawaii is one of the biggest employers in the islands. According to Hawaii’s State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations, there were 73,700 state government jobs in Hawaii in 2009. Although the state government’s salaries aren’t remarkable (considering Hawaii’s high cost of living), its benefits package is generous:
- Insurance coverage: medical, prescription, chiropractic, dental, and vision
- Paid holidays: 13 per odd-numbered year (14 in even-numbered years, for Election Day)
- Vacation days: 21 per year
- Sick days: 21 per year
- Retirement pension: Employees are eligible to receive their full pension at age 62 after working at least 5 years, or at age 55 after working 30 years. There’s also an early retirement option at age 55 after 20 years of service, with a reduced monthly pension.
- Retirement health coverage: 50% coverage after 10 years of service, 75% after 15 years, and 100% after 25 years
If this is sounding good to you, you can view listings and apply for state jobs online, and they do accept out-of-state applications. Most of the listings are for skilled civil service jobs. There are also a few listings for unskilled service jobs (general laborers, groundskeepers, and janitors) and non-civil-service positions.
Jobs In Hawaii’s Public Schools
If you’re interested in a civil service position in Hawaii’s public school system, there is a separate listing for the Department of Education’s support services positions.
If you don’t mind the lack of health benefits, another option is working as a substitute teacher (starting at $147/day) or substitute school health aide. Substitute teachers need to have a bachelor’s degree and complete a 30-hour course on substitute teaching. Substitute school health aides must have a high school diploma, one year experience working with kids, and first aid/CPR certification.
To work as a salaried teacher and receive the same benefits as other state employees, you must have a Hawaii teaching license, or be a National Board Certified teacher, or have completed a state-approved teacher education program plus three PRAXIS exams. Teachers who completed their training outside the U.S. must have their foreign credentials evaluated by a separate agency to determine if they meet these requirements.
Annual teaching salaries start at $43,000 and are determined by the teacher’s number of years of experience and amount of post-undergraduate education. Up to six years of out-of-state teaching experience are applicable to a new hire’s placement on the salary schedule.
At this time, however, the Department of Education is actively hiring only for positions in remote locations of Hawaii, for a limited number of elementary positions on the Big Island, and for positions specializing in math, science, and special education.
Another place to look for teaching and support services positions is in Hawaii’s public charter schools. Although they do have an online job listing, they recommend contacting each school directly to inquire about any open positions, as each school does its own hiring.
Addendum (thanks to my readers!)
Hawaii Health Systems Corporation: Although not part of the state government, it is Hawaii’s largest hospital system, with locations on Oahu, the Big Island, Maui, Kauai, and Lana’i. Job opportunities for nurses, therapists, social workers, pharmacy workers, technicians, administrators, admin support staff, and more.
Hawaii State Judiciary: Lists civil service positions, exempt positions, per diem judge positions, summer/student positions, and volunteer opportunities.
University of Hawaii: Civil service, faculty, administrative, technical, and executive job opportunities.